Two business associates from different industries lamented to me about the same problem recently: it’s hard to hire delivery drivers.

It’s easy to see why.

The job involves long hours of driving, usually requires lifting of heavy goods, and doesn’t pay well. Most companies will be reluctant to offer much above $1600 per month.

Yet their operations are severely disrupted whenever their drivers resign. It makes one wonder, is not worth paying the extra few hundred dollars a month to ensure smooth continuity of operations?

Instead, they suffer the consequences of high turnover.

Some people have commented that it is not a matter of salaries. They have tried paying more, well above the market rate, and yet they still face the same problem in the end.

The job is simply not attractive enough, and the prospects are dim.

So, what can companies do about it? One possible idea is to improve the working conditions. For example, they could arrange for two workers to work as a team if their goods are heavy, rather than sending them out on separate errands.

Or they could provide proper equipment. Many small companies refuse to shell out $80 for a new trolley even when their workers are struggling with wobbly wheels. The cost in lost time and reduced productivity is much higher.

This is not an easy issue to handle. I think if possible, I would outsource delivery to a 3rd party logistics firm and let them handle it instead. The overall cost could be higher, but that is one less thing to worry about.